Creatures Large and Small

I've always had pets.

There are very few years that aren't filled with scratches, bite marks,or shed hair.
My First pet I can actually remember (petting, feeding and generally loving) would be Kitten Little. She was found on the side of the road when I was two. My father was always a nature nerd and so we scooped her up, and took her home. She was so tiny she could fit entirely into my fathers' palm. Because she was so small we had to feed her from an eye dropper. As she grew, we taught her to be litter trained and how to live outside when my mother's allergies got too bad.

I remember her because we were together for nearly 16 years. In that time she was more my friend than any person. She slept on my bed. Either curled up on my toes or in the scoop of my bent legs. She sat on my lap, when the sunlight no longer lazed across her favorite spot by the window. And she played. Out of all the cat's I've known, SHE was the best mixture of temperament and energy.

My next cat and the first pet I adopted from a shelter was Oscar; the fat, shedding, old cat.
Oscar was one of a pair of two aged cats who had been discarded when their owner grew too old to take care of them. At 11 and 12years old they couldn't be separated, and had to be adopted together. In my infinite wisdom I decided that two old cats would be better than on kitten ANY DAY. They'd already be house broken and already act well around people. I was right. Except for the fact that I personally had to empty their litter box everyday like clockwork. One thing that will give anyone a sense of work is to follow an old cat that has diarrhea and clean it up. I can now say that I will be ready when I have children; I know all the best surface cleaners!

I must have based my love of animals from my first nature walk with my dad. He taught me to love all kinds of creatures, by showing me their habitats in person. He explained to me early in life that they are created for a reason. Each animal has it's own environment and within that sphere they have their own jobs. Spiders for instance are not scary. Not unless you find a wolf-spider on you in the shower like I did at 16. Spiders are great, they keep bugs from
Trying to take over the world
If you've seen Pinky and the Brain you'll recognize this reference. If you haven't Go Here.

MY next fuzzy feline quite literally chose me. Two years after being in a new house I noticed the lack of feline companionship. I often took nature walks in the grove of trees behind my house. One day while I was walking I heard a mewling sound. And out of the bushes walked a small ginger cat. He was very thin and eyed me from a few feet away. I pet him and got him to follow me up to the house he wouldn't come up to the porch. So I yelled inside and had my roommate keep an eye on him while i cranked open a can of tuna a can of chicken and a handful of dog food and a dish of water.

Two vaccinations later, two collars, two vets, and the name Fred, we are still Cat and Owner.

If you haven't owned a pet I'd suggest you find time to visit a shelter and at least play with the lonely animals there... The most rewarding pets are Cats and Dogs. They teach you more about relationships than any psychology class can everyday.